Europe

Negative Representation

• Female characters are often younger than their male counterparts and more likely to be reduced to the roles of wife, mother, or girlfriend. • The Geena Davis Institute and French media company Vivendi found that the image of women is degraded as they are too often presented as objects of male desire. • The weighted average of films directed by women in the 2012-2016 period is just 19.6 %, with country results varying from 5 % (Latvia) to 30% (Sweden). • Women are over-represented costume design and editing, and under-represented sound, music, and imaging. • In Europe, women represent only about a quarter of the persons heard, read about, or seen in the media. • The persistence of gender stereotypes in media content and the prevalence of sexist hate speech in social media are issues that need to be urgently addressed.

Positive Representation

• SVT in Sweden now has 56% female managers while NRK (Norway), SR (Sweden) and YLE (Finland) have all surpassed the 50% mark. • Since 2017, the British Film Institute has adopted a 50% gender equality target for who they fund and employ. By 2023 ITV aims to have 30% women on its board, 50% women in its senior leadership team, 50% women in its workforce and 50% women on screen. • In 2013, four Swedish cinemas and the Scandinavian cable television channel Viasat Film incorporated the Bechdel test into some of their ratings. In 2013, 30 % of Swedish feature films passed the Bechdel test, but by 2015, 80% of films passed. The test is now a feature in 30 cinemas and has also started appearing on DVD covers. Awareness of gender and racial diversity issues in film is now an educational goal in 10 Swedish cities, and the Bechdel test is taught in schools there.

Recent Positive Changes

• Various EU-level initiatives, such as the LUX Film Prize, have been introduced in support of female film projects. • Eurimages has committed to reinforcing a gender equality perspective in its policies and measures, and to achieving equal distribution of co-production funding between women and men by the year 2030. • The ‘Nordic Women in Film’ website increases visibility of female filmmakers in the region. • An Italian mentoring programme, ‘Moviement’, helps female filmmakers develop leadership skills and career strategies.

Barriers To Change

• For a large majority of the professions in film production, the average hourly wages of women is 38.9% lower than that of men and only 16% of funding goes to films directed by women. • Men are still the main decision makers in the media sector and possess a more dominant role in shaping public opinion. Because of this, women face discrimination in terms of social security benefits and flexibility, with long-term contracts and full-time employment difficult to obtain and not inclusive for employees with families. • Journalism is considered a risky profession for women, due to harassment, bullying, and gender-based violence. • Cultural norms and expectations in Europe continue to hinder inclusion of women in the media sector. For example, in the media women are more likely to be given work on topics perceived as less important and as ‘soft’ issues.

What More Needs To Be Done?

• The media needs to combat sexist stereotypes and discuss the diverse realities of the lives of men and women. • Initiatives and advocacy campaigns targeted towards evaluating media content that deploy gender stereotypes and sexist language are important. A Czech campaign, Sexisticke prasatečko (Sexist Piggy), scrutinizes Czech advertisements for sexist elements and reveals Czech perceptions about sexism and gender inequality. • The promotion of more comprehensive narratives and policies on gender equality – devising strategies, setting targets and monitoring progress. • Raising awareness, offering training, and committing organisations and people to change. • Advocating for more women in the media and film industry, along with the guarantee of safe and inclusive working spaces for these employees. • Diversifying content and language for a more diverse audience. • Combatting sexual harassment – anti-harassment practices directed at media and film professionals.

TV & Film Recommendations

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire – written and directed by Céline Sciamma, cinematography by Claire Mathon. The French film follows a painter as she is commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman without the woman knowing. • Arima – directed by Jaione Camborda and starring a female led cast. The Spanish film follows the lives of four women when a stranger arrives in their town in pursuit of an elusive outsider. • Bird Box – directed by Susanne Bier. The film follows a women and her children as they embark on a dangerous journey to flee a mysterious force and find a place of sanctuary. • Girl Picture – directed by Alli Haapasalo and produced by Leila Lyytikainen and Elina Pohjola. The Finnish film follow three young women during the Finnish winter darkness as they move between dreams, reality, friendship, and relationships. • Killing Eve – created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The UK TV show follows Villanelle (an assassin) with the mission of killing Eve (an intelligence officer), except they find themselves strangely drawn to each other.

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